COM 221: Introduction to Film Dr. Neuendorf Sample Final Exam #1 PRINT NAME: SS
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1 COM 221: Introduction to Film Dr. Neuendorf Sample Final Exam #1 PRINT NAME:_____________________________ SS#:______________________________________ CSU ID#:__________________________________ Multiple Choice/T-F--Indicate one letter on your opscan/scantron answer sheet: 1. The annual Cleveland Film Festival features American films not produced by major commercial studios, as well as films made in such countries as Poland, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe. Most of the Festival films, then, could be considered: a. Bollywood films b. Second City Cinema c. indies and Third Cinema d. New Wave Cinema and Race Movies 2. Our ability to use the auteur theory, as well as to analyze genre and conduct formalistic analyses of the mise-en- scene, is largely due to the work of six young men writing in a film journal in the 1950's. They all studied films of all types at their local cinematheque before trying to make films themselves. When they finally did make films, the works were heralded as being inventive and eclectic. These men have been called: a. the German Expressionists b. the French Dadaists c. the Italian Neorealists d. the French New Wave 3. In films such as Contact, What Dreams May Come, and Mighty Joe Young, some of the special visual effects include images that have been created electronically, without hand drawings, and without models constructed. That would indicate what type of animation? a. computer animation b. stop-motion animation c. cel animation d. multiplane animation 4. The 1994 film The Crow (D: Alex Proyas), starring the late Brandon Lee, a young rock musician rises from the grave and seeks vengeance with the aid of a spectral crow. The setting is dark, urban, with odd city angles abounding. The Lee character wears tight-fitting black leather, and applies high-contrast white-and-black makeup. The style of the film is clearly inspired by: a. German Expressionism b. Dali’s surrealism c. Felliniesque humor d. Leo McCarey’s improvisational acting 5. In the 1996 Greek release Ulysses’ Gaze (D: Theo Angelopoulos), the color blue seems to signify loss or leaving. This motif begins with an opening shot of a man filming a sailboat leaving harbor--an entirely blue boat, sails and all. Later, modes of transportation are blue or splashed with blue--taxis, buses, a canoe. The type of film scholar who would be most interested in interpreting this symbolic motif would be: a. an historiographer b. a realist c. a feminist d. a semiologist 2 6. Which of the following presents an elaborate metaphor for the screenwriting profession? a. Antz b. Cinema Paradiso c. Amarcord d. Script Doctor 7. In the Italian film Life is Beautiful (1998), auteur Roberto Benigni stars in a film he both directed and wrote. The character he plays is highly consistent with his comic performances on the stage and in stand-up, for which he is well-known and well-loved in his native Italy. His unique mode of acting and behaving, and his special comedic talent, all point to a film career based on his: a. persona b. allegory c. surrealism d. genre 8. Mr. Magoo (1997) and George of the Jungle (1997) are two examples in a small trend of basing films on old cartoon series (from the 1950s and 1960s, in these cases). As has been typical with such films, the story is original, and only the characters and the basic situation are taken from the original sources. If we can consider the cartoons as a literature source, then the new film will be: a. a loose adaptation b. a literal adaptation c. a faithless abomination 9. According to the Econo reading by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who wrote what for Singin' in the Rain? a. Comden and Green wrote all dialogue and all song lyrics--it was in their contracts. b. Comden and Green wrote the dialogue, but most of the tunes were 20- to 30-year-old songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed (by this time a producer and head of the “Freed Unit” specializing in musicals at MGM). c. Producer Arthur Freed (head of the “Freed Unit”) wrote all dialogue and all song lyrics, but had to give credit to Comden and Green due to union rules. d. Nobody wrote anything--the performers improvised most of their lines. 10. The film Grosse Point Blank (1997) elicits laughs from a variety of situations involving murder, maiming, and hit men. The film is an example of: a. a musical b. a black/dark comedy c. film noir d. a screwball comedy 11. The 1922 film Nosferatu, an early version of "Dracula," was groundbreaking in its use of high-contrast black and white photography, shocking makeup, and stark, geometric set design. What type of film is this? a. Italian Neorealism b. French New Wave c. New German Cinema d. German Expressionism 12. In Wim Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire, and its sequel, Faraway So Close (1993), guardian angels elect to become human to fulfill their individualistic dreams, rather than continue their duties as angels. This abdication of social responsibility is typical of the film "movement" to which the two films belong: a. French New Wave b. Film Noir c. Felliniesque d. New German Cinema 3 13. Which film fits the classical paradigm of narrative structure? a. Citizen Kane b. Amarcord c. Antz d. Cinema Paradiso e. all of the above 14. A surprising number of "cult" films have been black/dark comedies. This may be because cult films: a. always use audience participation b. were all filmed during the 1940's, the age of black/dark comedies c. have a specific loyal following of fans, a group which in this case apparently enjoys “sick” humor so much that they watch it repeatedly 15. Among the following four names and types of film, who was the first Black American to produce and direct feature films? a. Dorothy Dandridge and the Zoot Suit Films b. Oscar Micheaux and the Race Films c. Spike Lee and the Blaxploitation Films d. Stepin Fetchit and New Wave of African-American Filmmakers 16. Fahrenheit 451, the 1967 film version of Ray Bradbury’s science fiction story, directed by Francois Truffaut, has been described as “odd”--the pacing is varied, the two main female characters are played by the same actor (Julie Christie), the tone varies from depressing to whimsical, and the music by Bernard Herrmann is emotion-laden. It is clearly an experimental variation on the standard science fiction films of the 1950's and 1960's. What type of film is this? a. French New Wave b. African-American New Wave c. Dadaist d. New German Cinema 17. The 1957 Italian film The Nights of Cabiria won an Academy Award as Best Foreign Film, one of four the film's auteur won in his lifetime. The auteur's wife starred as a kindhearted, simpleminded prostitute dreaming of a rich, wonderful life but always finding sorrow. A garish, circus-like urban nightlife is emphasized in this expressionistic, fantasy-laced film. Which auteur directed? a. Leo McCarey b. Federico Fellini c. Roberto Rossellini d. Gene Kelly 18. Giannetti discusses acting styles over the years, including "The Method," based on the theories of Constantin Stanislavsky. Which of the following is true of "The Method"? a. improvisation during rehearsal is allowed b. the actor is asked to live his/her part every moment s/he is playing it c. it was used in certain American movies of the 1950's d. it is not very consistent with the Hollywood star system e. all of the above 19. Viewing check: In Amarcord, Fellini’s filmic view of his childhood, virtually the entire town was so eager to see a certain thing, they got into boats, sailed out to sea and waited for: a. a comet b. a ship c. a circus d. a large woman 4 20. The Red Shoes (Gr. Britain, 1948) is a wonderful, highly stylized film about a ballerina torn between two lovers. The film depicts the world of ballet as if it’s the contemporary rock scene--with crowds of young fans fighting to get into the theater first, major egos, and extreme behavior. The film continues to be a favorite among people who love ballet--they watch it repeatedly, and enjoy talking to other ballet fans about this one, true ballet feature. The Red Shoes: a. shows characteristics of being a cult film b. is a film in the parodic stage of its genre c. was a product of the Hollywood Studio System d. is a genre hybrid--musical and film noir 21. In his second post-WWII film, Paisan, this auteur presented six separate episodes, each dealing with a different aspect of interaction between liberated Italians and liberating Americans. He used primarily non-professional actors and authentic settings. Which auteur is this? a. Roberto Rossellini b. Leni Riefenstahl c. Francois Truffaut d. Paul Robeson 22. Which of the following films is clearly an example of a genre film in that genre’s “classical” stage? a. Cinema Paradiso b. Citizen Kane c. The Awful Truth d. Heavenly Creatures 23. What was "good" about the Blaxploitation films? a. Black American backers made a lot of money. b. They were the first American films to star African-Americans. c. They starred African-Americans, and inspired young Blacks of future generations to do more, and get into the making of films 24. You wish to create a serious narrative film about the realities of gay urban life. You apply to a government agency for funding, and agree to have your funded film shown both on TV and in theaters upon its completion.